The invention relates generally to patient moving methods and systems and more particularly to a simplified patient transfer mat which is easy to utilize and can be readily stacked for storage.
Any number of methods and systems have been utilized to shift or move a patient who is unable to move themselves. The patient can be partially lifted, slid or rolled onto a stretcher or bed by several attendants. The patient is again moved onto an operating, examining or x-ray table and then the process is repeated to place the patient back into the patient's bed. Each of these moves has the potential to aggravate the patient's injuries or even to cause new injuries.
Numerous types of systems have been utilized to assist in shifting of a patient while attempting to minimize risk of injury and to facilitate ease of movement. These systems have included boards and other types of stretcher type units, which have been relatively inflexible or very flexible, such as made from sheets, canvas or blankets. One system includes an elongated plastic slab or plank placed longitudinally under the patient. Each of these systems has attempted to provide for ease in placing the patient onto the system. The elongated plastic slab, for example, is about 508 mm by 1016 mm or larger and is made to be longitudinally placed beside the patient. The patient then is turned on edge and placed on the slab by the so-called "log rolling" technique. The slab is of a size such that the patient is substantially totally supported on the slab and can be moved or lifted on the slab by utilizing hand holds or openings in the edge of the slab. Such a slab is inconvenient to store, because of its size and it does not include any means for securing the patient onto the slab.
The simplified patient transfer mat provides certain desirable advantages not obtained with the transfer mat inventions of parent U.S. Ser. Nos. 830,261 and 869,367. These advantages derive from forming each mat from an appropriately sized flexible piece of material. As in parent U.S. Ser. No. 869,367, at least one surface of the mat is striated or textured so that accumulation of static electric charge on that surface is prevented by reason of friction contact with textile material of a bed sheet or clothing of the patient as the mat is slid under a patient. The mat also is very economical to produce since it is less complicated, does not fold and a plurality of the mats easily can be stacked upon one another for storage.